


Sympathy tastes sweet

by Yamiga



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Chocolate, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-15
Updated: 2015-01-15
Packaged: 2018-03-07 14:53:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3176482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yamiga/pseuds/Yamiga
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Due to Kaneki's disappearance, Hide's been battling with his own emotions. So to make up for his absence, Kaneki starts anonymously leaving chocolates around Hide's house.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sympathy tastes sweet

It just appeared one day, by his bed side when he woke up in the morning.

 

Even before he cracked open his eyes, he smelled the sweet scent of rich, milk chocolate. And as he rolled to his left, and stared a head, there sitting on his nightstand by the alarm clock was a bar of chocolate.

 

It wasn't open, practically untouched. There was nothing by it, not even a note.

 

Hide curiously sat up and took it in his hands.

 

“Hm? Did I bring this last night?”

 

The question wasn't really directed towards anyone (Hide was the only one there). He simply held the bar in his hands for a few seconds before rubbing it under his nose. He remembered the smell, from a time ago. Yes, it was just a chocolate bar, but the brand he and Kaneki would always eat as kids.

 

Hide sighed, feeling that rather painful and nostalgic knife wedge his system.

 

He found himself placing the chocolate back on the night stand. He probably bought it the night before, and just forgot about it.

 

OoOoOoOoOoO

 

Hide woke up eventually, cleaned himself, dressed and went down stairs. After making a quick breakfast, he rushed back upstairs to retrieve the chocolate bar. Before leaving the house, he placed it in the refrigerator.

 

At the moment, he didn't really feel like eating. He had a test that morning, and chocolate would make him uneasy.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 

That night, Hide returned home with sleep already plaguing his eyes. His eyelids drooped every so often making it nearly impossible for him to look ahead...or stand straight. 

 

Naturally, after he took his shoes off, he crashed on the couch. The remote, as he expected, was on the side table so absently, with his head buried in the couch cushion, he reached for it. He felt something rectangular and hard...it didn't really feel like a remote.

 

So grabbing it, Hide shifted positions and held it right above his face.

 

_Another chocolate bar..._

 

Instinctively, as he sat up and reached for the remote, he held the bar next to his nose. It smelled sweet, just like chocolate should've, but he supposed there was a hint of something else. Cologne?

Hide just brushed it off, like he had done earlier.

 

For a second, he wondered if he was making a mistake, not caring too much about it. But this was only the second time it happened. Maybe he had bought some chocolate the past week and forgot.

 

Eating sweets used to be common thing in his life. Sweets had always helped him crawl out of depression and sadness. In highschool, it wasn't uncommon for him to binge on chocolate bars, though he'd never tell anyone. It was embarrassing almost, to have to resort to sweets for comfort.

 

As of present, allowing the bar to slide under his nose, he wondered how comforting it would be to take a bite. With all the stress of Kaneki's absence taking over him, one bite wouldn't hurt...would it?

 

_Nah..._ Hide got up and took the bar to the refrigerator. He didn’t want to have to return to being a helpless boy who craved sweets. 

 

He was better than that now.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 

A couple of weeks had gone by, and the chocolate supply only increased. Sometimes, Hide would find one on his bed, or ten under his pillow. There would be some in his bag, on his dresser, in his drawers..etc...etc...Hide who was overwhelmed by it all discovered that the chocolates began to cause more problems than one. 

 

These bars were the same brand he and Kaneki would eat as kids. Hide had realized this before but now, it was really starting to get to him. He remembered vividly. They'd go to the candy store with the little money they had and ask for two bars a piece. They'd sit by the dock, or on the big hill and eat together, laughing and talking about nonsense. Those chocolates represented happy memories...

 

Now, stressed by not just school but Kaneki's disappearances, Hide had about a hundred chocolate bars on his bed. He couldn't relate them to the happy memories he'd shared with Kaneki when they were children, despite their brand.

 

He only remembered stressful nights in highschool binging on chocolate and the many times when he wanted to kill himself...and the many times Kaneki had stopped him. 

 

Now Kaneki was gone...and some idiot was leaving him chocolates.

 

He had to get rid of them. He hadn't even eaten one and he didn't plan to. 

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

 

Two days later, he found himself in Kaneki's old apartment. With him, he carried a box full of the chocolates.

 

He didn't know what prompted him to come here, verses just throwing the chocolates away. But something just seemed right about this, like closure almost. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been here...maybe when he was certain that Kaneki was alive?

 

Shuddering, he placed the box on the table which was currently covered in dust. 

He took a deep breath and looked around the apartment one last time. 

This was probably the last time he'd visit.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

 

A week passed, and the chocolates had stopped. 

Hide felt a little lighter despite the fact that the sweets had still opened a wound in his heart. He'd just have to keep on looking for Kaneki, and smile every time he did so.

 

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 

It was well past nine when Hide returned home.

 

He would've headed straight to bed if it wasn't for the large package that was outside of his door. He casually picked it up and took it in. He threw his shoes off, walked to his bedroom where he tossed the box on the bed. 

 

As he prepared himself for sleep, he couldn't help but notice the light that was blinking on his answering machine. The light indicated that someone had left a voice mail, which was really odd...he hadn't gotten a voice mail in months.

 

After putting some pajama bottoms on, Hide gazed at the caller ID and saw that it was an unregistered number. He pressed the button anyway to playback the message. It was probably someone asking for money...

 

“ _Hello...”_

 

Hide nearly fell back.

 

_Kaneki...?_

 

He stood there like a frozen doll just waiting for the message to continue.

 

“ _Hey...I guess this means you aren't home. You might be at school or work...”_

 

Hide finally sat down, after finding the strength to move.

 

“ _It's me Hide...Kaneki. I don't...I don't even know where to begin, or if this message will be enough but...just hear me out okay? I know you're probably angry, and you don't want to listen but...all I can say is I'm sorry Hide. This is strange, I get it, and you're probably about to delete the message...I wouldn't blame you._

 

_Huh...I hope you liked the chocolates. If you were wondering, it's been me, leaving them in your house and in your bag. They were your favorite when we were little, still hope they're your favorites now. I know chocolate makes you feel better Hide, you aren't fooling anyone by pretending you don't like them._

 

_I saw the chocolates that one night when you were having your breakdown Hide. They were all stashed under your bed. I didn't say anything, but I knew they helped you cope. So I know you're going through a lot now, and all I can wish for is your happiness. So eat them Hide, they're for you, to make you happy._

 

_Don't take them back to my apartment, don't pretend you don’t see them...just eat them. Please, for me. I want you to be happy...”_

 

Kaneki paused momentarily.

 

“ _I want you to stop looking for me too. Stop putting yourself in danger....I know that's rough, but I'm sorry. And this is my apology...these chocolates. So eat them, and be happy. You have around three hundred in the box I gave back. So enjoy Hide._

 

_There's no number, so don't bother trying to call back._

_Don't bother looking for me anymore._

 

_This is for your safety Hide. I'll be safe._

_Thanks.”_

 

The message ended, but Hide quickly rushed back to the machine. He replayed it once....twice...three times...over and over again...

 

All the while, he sat on his bed, uneasy. He opened the box of chocolates and took them out, one by one he undid the rappers and began to stuff them into his mouth.

 

Tears streamed down his cheeks as he swallowed the sweet substance. He tried to remember happier times, but he only reflected on how pitiful he was at the moment.

 

_So eat them...and be happy..._

 

He ate, and ate, and ate until his stomach churned. Even then, he still cried.

 

He could practically remember that night when he was in highschool. Kaneki hugging him...the chocolates hidden to the best of their abilities. He was so broken, and afraid but...then he had Kaneki to comfort him.

 

Now he just had the chocolates...and they weren't really doing their job.

 

He felt dumb, he felt sick...he felt sorry for himself.

_Stop crying. Stop crying!_ It worked, but the feeling still remained. After ten minutes, he just sat there, letting his tongue bask in the alluring chocolate substance. 

 

His heart still ached but he felt a little better.

 

Sympathy tasted so sweet, but that wasn't a bad thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I do hope you enjoyed!


End file.
